Browne (Lord Kenmare)

Family title

Earl of Kenmare, Viscount Castlerosse

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Estate(s)

Name

Description

Browne (Kenmare)

Smith states that Sir Valentine Browne was granted over 6000 acres in county Kerry after the Desmond Rebellion. Political allegiences in the seventeenth century caused the size of the estate to fluctuate. It was consolidated in the eighteenth century and the Kenmare estate amounted to over 91,000 acres in county Kerry in the 1870s as well as over 22,000 acres in county Cork and over 4000 in county Limerick. Lord Kenmare was one of the principal lessors in the parishes of Aghadoe, Aglish, Currans, Kilcredane, Kilcummin, Killarney, Killeentierna, Kilnanare, Molahiffe and Nohavaldaly in the barony of Magunihy at the time of Griffith’s Valuation. In 1822 Thomas, 3rd Earl of Kenmare, married Catherine, daughter and co heir with her sisters (two of whom were Bridget O'Reilly and Ellen Bagot) of Edmund O'Callaghan of Kilgory, county Clare. Griffith's Valuation records the Earl, James John Baggott and the Reverend Joseph O'Reilly holding an estate mainly situated in the parish of Clonlea, barony of Tulla Lower, but also in the parishes of Killuran and Tulla. The 3rd Earl was involved in the sale of Kilgory in the early 1860s. The county Limerick estate of the Earl of Kenmare was principally located in the parish of Hospital, but also in the parishes of Ballynamona and Knockainy, barony of Smallcounty. Lewis writes that the parish of Hospital was granted to Sir Valentine Browne ancestor of the Earls of Kenmare, who erected a castle. The Kenmare estate held several townlands in the parish of Kilcomoge, barony of Bantry at the time of Griffith's Valuation.